Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fimmerdared’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Fimmerdared’, characterized by its compact, upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; relatively small button-type decorative inflorescences with dark red-colored ray florets that resist fading; mid-September flowering response under natural season conditions; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘FIMMERDARED’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a garden Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fimmerdared’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom. The objective of the breeding program is to create new early-flowering garden Chrysanthemum plants with numerous attractive inflorescences.

The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made in January, 2007 by the Inventor in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 2969, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 82701, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom in September, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal vegetative cuttings was first conducted in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom in December, 2007. Asexual reproduction by terminal vegetative cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fimmerdared’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fimmerdared’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded         plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Relatively small button-type decorative inflorescences with         dark red-colored ray florets that resist fading.     -   5. Plants flower under natural season conditions during the         third week of September in the United Kingdom.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the female parent         selection differ in inflorescence form.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier than plants of         the female parent selection under natural season conditions.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower later than plants of         the male parent selection under natural season conditions.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the male parent selection         differ in ray floret color as plants of the male parent         selection have lighter red-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Yotabitha’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,110. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘Yotabitha’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered later than plants of         ‘Yotabitha’ under natural season conditions.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences         than plants of ‘Yotabitha’.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had button-type decorative         inflorescences whereas plants of ‘Yotabitha’ had flattened         decorative inflorescences.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and ‘Yotabitha’ differed in         ray floret color as plants of ‘Yotabitha’ had lighter         red-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fimmerdared’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the late summer and early autumn in 19-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom and under cultural practices typical of commercial garden Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 25° C., night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 15° C. and light levels ranged from 400 to 2,500 joules. Plants were pinched one time and were about 14 weeks old when the photograph and detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Fimmerdared’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 2969, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 82701,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures of about 21° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at             temperatures of about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures of about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures of about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; sparse. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous decorative-type garden             Chrysanthemum; compact with stems upright to outwardly             spreading giving a uniformly mounded appearance to the             plant; numerous lateral branches and relatively short             internodes, dense and full plant habit; moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 47 cm.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit, about eight lateral             branches develop after removal of terminal apex (pinching);             each primary lateral with numerous secondary laterals.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Internode length: About 5 mm. Strength: Strong to moderately             strong. Aspect: About 80° from stem. Texture: Fine             pubescence. Color: Close to 187A with a hint of green.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About             4.3 cm. Width: About 2 cm. Shape: Palmately-lobed; roughly             ovate. Apex: Acuminate and mucronate. Base: Obtuse with             truncate tendencies. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses             between lateral lobes parallel to divergent; slightly             dentate. Texture, upper surface: Fine pubescence, sparse.             Texture, lower surface: Fine pubescence; veins prominent.             Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B; venation,             close to 138B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 138B; venation, close to 138B. Petiole: Length: About             1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Fine pubescence. Color, upper surface: Close to             137B. Color, lower surface: Close to 138B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Form and flowering habit.—Button-type decorative             inflorescence form with oblanceolate-shaped ray florets;             inflorescences borne on terminals above and beyond the             foliar plane; disc and ray florets arranged acropetally on a             capitulum; freely flowering habit with about 40             inflorescences developing per lateral branch and about 960             inflorescences developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—Fragrant; pungent, herbaceous.         -   Flowering response.—Early flowering habit, plants exposed to             natural season conditions begin flowering the third week of             September in the United Kingdom; with photoinductive             treatments, response time is about 40 days.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about three to five weeks on the plant;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About             7 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 138A.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3 cm.         -   Receptacles.—Height: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Hemispherical to conical. Color: Close to 145C.         -   Ray florets.—Orientation: Initially upright, then about 90°             from vertical. Length: About 1.4 cm. Width: About 5 mm.             Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Fused into a             short tube. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 231 arranged in about 14 whorls. Color:             When opening, upper surface: More red than 187A. When             opening, lower surface: More red than 187B. Fully opened,             upper surface: More red than 53A; color becoming closer to             N34A with development. Fully opened, lower surface: More red             than 53B; color becoming closer to more red than 187D with             development.         -   Disc florets.—Disc floret development has not been observed             on plants of the new Chrysanthemum.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 47             arranged in about six whorls. Length: About 7 mm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute to obtuse. Base:             Rounded to truncate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             surface: Smooth, glabrous; waxy. Texture, lower surface:             Fine pubescence; waxy. Color, upper surface: Close to 144A.             Color, lower surface: Close to 137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 4.7 cm.             Diameter, terminal peduncle: About 2 mm. Angle: Erect to             about 45° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong;             flexible. Texture: Fine pubescence. Color: Close to 138B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:             Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma             color: Close to 9B. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color:             Close to 4B. Ovary color: Close to 155B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Chrysanthemum plants has not been observed on plants of the new     Chrysanthemum grown under commercial conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good garden performance and to tolerate temperatures     from about 0° C. to about 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fimmerdared’ as illustrated and described. 